Chapter 14

Statewide Planning Goal 14 “Urbanization” requires and to establish and maintain urban growth boundaries around cities to “provide land for urban development needs and to identify and separate urban and urbanizable land from rural land.”

The of Scio is a compact community with residential neighborhoods, churches and schools surrounding a central business district along Main Street and Hwy 226. The compact urban form creates a cohesive community. Local residents describe Scio as a quaint, family friendly small with an extremely strong sense of community. Scio is welcoming to existing residents and newcomers. It offers opportunities for citizens to be actively involved in local government, schools, civic organizations, volunteer activities and community events. City leaders want to ensure community vitality is sustained in the future. They envision building on Scio’s strengths and retaining its small town charm. Managing how and where the City grows will determine whether the City is successful in achieving this vision. 14.1 Scio Urban Growth Boundary

The Scio Urban Growth Boundary (Scio UGB) was established to retain a compact urban form. The Scio UGB limits where the City may grow and prevents encroachment of housing and urban sprawl from extending into the surrounding agricultural lands. Land outside the Scio UGB is reserved for non-urban uses, with particular attention given to the preservation of the Thomas Creek floodplain area and agricultural lands.

The Scio UGB was established in 1980 with the adoption of the Scio Comprehensive Plan by both the City of Scio and Linn .1 The Scio UGB was acknowledged as being in compliance with Goal 14 requirements in the City’s original comprehensive plan acknowledgment order issued by LCDC on September 24, 1981. Since 1981, the City has adopted two post-acknowledgment plan amendments which have extended the Scio UGB.2 As part of the Scio Comprehensive Plan Update, the City readopted the Scio Urban Growth Boundary as shown on Map LU-1 “Scio Comprehensive Plan Map”.

The Scio UGB contains 337 acres. The City’s 2015 buildable lands analysis indicates there is sufficient buildable land inside the Scio UGB to accommodate the anticipated population growth

1 The 1981 Scio Comprehensive Plan included a UGB Analysis complying with Goal 14 requirements. The 1981 UGB analysis evaluated buildable land needs for both residential and employment lands and addressed the seven urbanization factors required at that time. 2 See City Ordinances 508, enacted on October 15, 1991 and Ordinance 547, enacted on October 13, 2003.

City of Scio Comprehensive Plan March 2019 Compilation Page 259 Chapter 14 – Urbanization of the City for the 20-year planning period from 2015 to 2035.3 All growth of the city must occur within the Scio UGB.

Table URB-1 Acreage in Scio UGB

Gross Location Acres Inside City Limits 265.25 Outside City Limits – Linn County UGA 71.85 TOTAL 337.10 Source: Linn County GIS, September 2014.

Table URB-1 shows the overall gross acreage in the UGB and identifies the acreage inside the city limits and in the unincorporated areas outside the city limits. Land within the city limits is designated and zoned to allow a multitude of urban uses including neighborhoods, commercial and industrial uses, open space, parks, schools, public facilities and natural areas along Thomas Creek and Peters Ditch.

The 71.85 acres in the unincorporated urban growth area outside the city limits is zoned by Linn County as an urban reserve area. County permits residential uses on existing lots and anticipates these properties will be annexed to the City of Scio when urban services (water, sewer and storm drainage facilities) are extended.

The urbanization goals and policies provide for the orderly annexation of land to the City and support the efficient transition from rural land uses to the more intense urban land uses. 14.2 Amendments to the Urban Growth Boundary

As the community grows and buildable lands are developed the City is required to plan for future growth and ensure there will be a 14-year supply of vacant, buildable land inside the UGB. The City will need to expand the UGB in the future in order to provide the needed supply of buildable land.

The modification of the Scio UGB requires cooperation between the city and Linn County and coordination with other local governments and state agencies. ORS 197A and Oregon Administrative Rules, divisions 660-024 or 660-038, outline the procedures and criteria cities with a population of under 10,000 residents must follow when amending the UGB.

The City will face several challenges when it looks to expand the Scio UGB.

1. Flood Hazards: A large share of the land area outside the existing Scio UGB is

3 See Table LU-6 in Chapter 4 “”. The Scio Buildable Lands Analysis (February 2015) found 66.18 acres of buildable residential land and 5.84. acres of buildable commercial and industrial land inside the Scio UGB.

City of Scio Comprehensive Plan March 2019 Compilation Page 260 Chapter 14 – Urbanization located within the Thomas Creek flood plain and is susceptible to shallow flooding on a regular basis. Maps NR-8 and NR-9 in Chapter 5 “Natural Resources” show the Thomas Creek and Peters Ditch flood hazard areas and land that was affected by the January 2012 flood event. The City anticipates regulatory changes in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may either restrict future urban density development on the lands within the Thomas Creek flood plain or new flood proofing requirements may make it too costly to convert properties located in the flood plain from rural residential and agricultural uses to urban uses.

2. Wetlands: The City’s local wetlands inventory identifies a number of locally significant wetlands located near Peters Ditch and unnamed drainage channels in the northwest portion of the Scio UGB. The City anticipates other wetlands exist outside the adopted local wetlands inventory study area to the east and west of the City near these waterways. The City’s zoning ordinance requires wetlands to be protected and preserved.

3. Thomas Creek and Peters Ditch Riparian Corridors: The City has not completed a Goal 5 inventory and assessment of these riparian areas, but anticipates a completed riparian inventory will conclude the City needs to adopt riparian protection measures.

4. Water Quality and Endangered Salmon and Steelhead: Thomas Creek has been identified as an essential habitat for endangered winter steelhead and spring Chinook salmon. Plans for the recovery of these two fish species are being developed by federal agencies. Habitat protection will be a cornerstone of federal, state and local salmonids recovery programs.

The large expanse of the Thomas Creek flood plain coupled with the need to address natural resource / environmental issues leads the City to conclude that an integrated approach is needed to protect the natural environment near Scio’s waterways. The creation of an open space corridor that provides for the unimpeded flow of flood waters, provides storm water detention and protects riparian areas and adjacent wetlands is logical.

As a consequence, the expansion of Scio’s UGB to the north, east, southwest and west may be precluded or, at a minimum, development may be allowed at a very low density. Land south of Gilkey or on the slopes southeast of the City and east of Hwy 226 may be the only options available for future expansion of the UGB and the long-term growth of the City. 14.3 Directing Growth and Urbanization Policies

City leaders are committed to maintaining a livable small town with good schools, a vibrant business district and safe, attractive neighborhoods. The expansion of the City to the south and southwest has the potential of creating neighborhoods that are further away and not connected to the existing city center, schools and local services. The City is committed to design its neighborhoods so they fit into the fabric of the existing community.

City of Scio Comprehensive Plan March 2019 Compilation Page 261 Chapter 14 – Urbanization As Scio grows, the City will manage and direct growth by implementing the goals and policies in the comprehensive plan, by enacting development standards and criteria and by managing the extension of public facilities.

City of Scio Comprehensive Plan March 2019 Compilation Page 262 Chapter 14 – Urbanization GOALS AND POLICIES URBANIZATION

STATEWIDE PLANNING GOALS

GOAL 14 – URBANIZATION: To provide for an orderly and efficient transition from rural to urban land use, to accommodate urban population and urban employment inside urban growth boundaries, to ensure efficient use of land, and to provide for livable communities.

CITY OF SCIO GOALS AND POLICIES

Goal URB-1: Provide for the efficient use of land and the orderly extension of public facilities and services to buildable lands within the Scio UGB.

Goal URB-2: Annex land to the City as public facilities are extended from existing developed areas in a systematic manner consistent with adopted public facility plans.

Goal URB-3: Modify the Scio UGB in order to provide an adequate supply of buildable residential and employment lands to serve the community for the 14-year planning period.

Policy URB-1. Urban Growth Management Agreement with Linn County. The City of Scio will periodically review and update the Urban Growth Boundary and Management Agreement with Linn County to facilitate the orderly transition of the land outside the city limits and inside the Scio UGB to urban densities and provide for the coordination of land use decisions within the Scio Planning Area. [See Land Use Policy LU-1]. Policy URB-2. Development inside the City Limits is a Priority. The City of Scio shall encourage development on vacant land or redevelopable sites within the city limits where services are available to minimize the cost of extending services and to maximize land use.

Policy URB-3. Rural Development in the UGB Area outside the City Limits. Linn County will allow for the development of existing lots designated for residential use on the Scio Comprehensive Plan within the unincorporated portion of the Urban Growth Boundary, subject to the following criteria:

a. All applicable county zoning and development standards are met including on-site sewage disposal system approval and legal access to a public street.

b. For parcels larger than five acres, an urban conversion plan is submitted for City and County review. The urban conversion plan shall demonstrate the potential division of the property to urban densities and the desired location of streets and points of access.

c. The property was not created illegally.

City of Scio Comprehensive Plan March 2019 Compilation Page 263 Chapter 14 – Urbanization Policy URB-4. Conversion of Land in the UGB to Urban Uses. Undeveloped buildable land within the of the Scio UGB is available for urban uses. Conversion of these buildable lands to urban uses shall be based on consideration of:

a. Orderly, economic provision for public facilities and services.

b. Compatible with the goals and policies of the Scio Comprehensive Plan and Statewide Land Use laws.

Policy URB-5. Annexation. The City may approve the annexation of land when the City finds the extension of water, sewer, streets and storm drainage facilities occurs concurrently with the annexation or can be provided as planned for in the City’s public facilities plans.

Policy URB-6. Public Services to Properties Outside the City Limits or Scio UGB.

a. Water Service. The City will continue to provide water service to customers located outside the city limits and Scio UGB. The City will not permit additional hookups or extend water service to other properties located outside the city limits except in the following instances:

i. The property is annexed to the City; or

ii. An extraterritorial extension of service is needed to alleviate a health hazard. In this instance the property owner(s) must file an application to annex the property to the City of Scio and concurrently obtain permits to extend and connect the water service and ensure no cross-connection can occur between the existing well and the public water supply. [Move to Chapter 11 - Public Facilities when Chapter 11 is adopted.]

b. Sewer Services. Sewer services will not be extended to properties outside the city limits, except in the following instance:

i. The property is annexed to the City, or

ii. The existing on-site septic system has failed and the property is located within 300’ of a public sewer and the Linn County Health Department notifies the City that the property owner cannot obtain a permit to repair or replace the existing septic system. In this instance the property owner(s) must file an application to annex the property to the City of Scio and concurrently obtain permits from the City to extend and connect the sewer service. [Move to Chapter 11 – Public Facilities when Chapter 11 is adopted.]

Policy URB-7. UGB Expansion to the South: The City of Scio shall direct growth of the community towards the south and west to preserve agricultural lands and avoid flood hazard areas north and east of the City.

Policy URB-8. Amendment to the Scio UGB. The Scio Planning Commission will review the City’s buildable lands inventory every five years to ensure the City has an adequate supply of buildable land within the Scio UGB and provide recommendations to the for the modification or expansion of the Scio UGB. When amending the UGB the City will locate the urban growth boundary line along existing property lines and streets or along the defined edges of existing waterways or other natural features.

City of Scio Comprehensive Plan March 2019 Compilation Page 264 Chapter 14 – Urbanization